Childhood & Early Life
Joanna Cassidy was born Joanna Virginia Caskey on August 2, 1945, in Haddonfield, New Jersey, USA, to Virginia and Joe Caskey. After graduating from ‘Haddonfield Memorial High School,’ she studied at ‘Syracuse University’ where she majored in art.
While studying at ‘Syracuse University,’ she landed a job as a fashion model and later moved to San Francisco where she continued modeling.
She made her acting debut in 1968 when she was cast to play a minor role in Peter Yates-directed action thriller film ‘Bullitt.’ In 1970, she made a brief appearance in a drama film titled ‘Fools.’
After playing minor roles in a couple of television series and films, Cassidy moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s to establish a career in acting. She landed her first major role in the 1974 Gower Champion-directed film ‘Bank Shot.’
In 1975, she played Joanna Morgan in an Italian horror film titled ‘The Cursed Medallion.’ Cassidy’s performance in the film received critical acclaim which encouraged filmmakers cast her in important roles.
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Career
From 1976 to 1978, she played supporting roles in films, such as ‘Stay Hungry,’ ‘American Raspberry,’ ‘The Late Show,’ ‘Stunts,’ and ‘Our Winning Season.’ Interestingly, she performed her own stunts while filming the 1977 film ‘Stunts.’ In 1978, she was seen in three television series, namely ‘The Roller Girls,’ ‘Taxi,’ and ‘Starsky & Hutch.’ In 1979, she landed a recurring role on ‘ABC’ network’s drama series ‘240-Robert.’ She played the role from 1979 to 1980, appearing in 13 episodes.
In 1980, she played Julie Miller in the Roger Vadim-directed film ‘Night Games.’ Her performance in the film earned her the ‘Sant Jordi Award’ for ‘Best Foreign Actress.’ Cassidy’s popularity increased among movie lovers when she played a replicant Zhora Salome in the 1982 Ridley Scott-directed science fiction film ‘Blade Runner.’
In 1983, she was nominated for ‘National Society of Film Critics Award’ for ‘Best Actress’ for playing Claire in a political thriller film titled ‘Under Fire.’
From 1983 to 1984, she played Jo Jo White in the television sitcom ‘Buffalo Bill.’ She received a ‘Primetime Emmy Award’ nomination and won the ‘Golden Globe Award’ for ‘Best Actress’ for her performance in ‘Buffalo Bill.’
Meanwhile, she continued playing important roles in feature films throughout the 80s. In 1988, she received a nomination at the ‘Saturn Awards’ for playing Dolores in the Robert Zemeckis-directed comedy film ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit.’
In 1991, she was cast to play Rose Lindsey in the coming-of-age black comedy film ‘Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead.’ In 1993, she played Linda Jurgenson in an episode titled ‘Other Mothers’ in the popular anthology series ‘CBS Schoolbreak Special’ for which she was nominated for ‘Daytime Emmy Award’ for ‘Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special.’
From 1993 to 1994, she played Judge Carolyn Walker in four episodes of the famous legal drama television series ‘L.A. Law.’ In 1994, she played Eleanor ‘Ellie’ Mayfield in six episodes of ‘CBS’ network’s drama series ‘Hotel Malibu.’ From 1997 to 1998, she lent her voice to the character of Maggie Sawyer in the animated television series ‘Superman: The Animated Series.’
From 2000 to 2010, she played interesting roles in 14 films, namely ‘Moonglow,’ ‘The Right Temptation,’ ‘Ghosts of Mars,’ ‘Anthrax,’ ‘The Virgin of Juarez,’ ‘Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector,’ ‘The Grudge 2,’ ‘Kiss the Bride,’ ‘The American Standards,’ ‘The Human Contract,’ ‘Stolen,’ ‘For Sale by Owner,’ ‘Flying Lessons,’ and ‘Anderson's Cross.’
From 2010 to 2012, she played Elaine Fitzpatrick in seven episodes of a Canadian television series titled ‘Call Me Fitz.’
From 2011 to 2013, she played Joan Hunt in 14 episodes of ‘ABC’ network’s medical drama series ‘Body of Proof.’
From 2015 to 2017, she played Candace Von Weber in the comedy television series ‘Odd Mom Out.’ After appearing as a recurring character throughout the first season of the series, Cassidy became part of the main cast during the second and third season. Meanwhile, she also played Eleanor Mahler in the 2015 Dennis Hauck-directed independent drama film ‘Too Late.’
From 2016 to 2019, Cassidy worked in seven television series, namely ‘The Odd Couple,’ ‘Lady Dynamite,’ ‘Motive,’ ‘The Reading Room,’ ‘Confess,’ ‘Life in Pieces,’ and ‘The Cool Kids.’
Apart from acting, she has also made guest appearances in popular shows, such as ‘The Mike Douglas Show,’ ‘The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,’ ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,’ and ‘The John Kerwin Show.’
Family & Personal Life
While studying at ‘Syracuse University,’ Joanna Cassidy married a doctor named Kennard C. Kobrin on May 25, 1964. On December 18, 1964, the couple was blessed with a daughter named Naomi Kobrin. On December 29, 1970, Cassidy gave birth to her second child, a son named Daniel Kobrin. Cassidy and Kennard C. Kobrin got divorced in 1974.
Apart from acting, Cassidy is also a painter and sculptor. At the premiere of the 1987 British film ‘The Fourth Protocol,’ a portrait of Frederick Forsythe, which was drawn by Cassidy, was auctioned off for charity.
Among her other interests are golfing, photography, and interior designing.
Cassidy is also involved in charity work. She is associated with several charitable organizations that aim at improving the lives of children, the elderly, and animals. She is also active on social media platforms, such as Twitter and Instagram.
